Just a Matter of Style? Late Bronze Age Painted Pottery Traditions in the Upper Euphrates Region: Origins and Significance

Painted pottery is significantly attested in the main Late Bronze Age sites of the Upper Euphrates valley. It has usually been recognized as a long-lasting reminiscence of local traditions stemming from the connections that the area had with Northern Mesopotamia and Northern Syria during the early 2nd millennium BC. Nonetheless, analyses mostly focused on examining the significance that the North- Central Anatolian plain wares played in the development of the pottery repertoires of this peripheral region under the Hittite sphere of influence, often leaving aside the importance and endurance of the local traits. This article aims at contextualizing and comparing the Late Bronze Age painted pottery assemblages brought to light in the main settlements of the Upper Euphrates region. Painted pottery coming from Arslantepe, the most extensively investigated site of the area, is presented here and its origin and development described from a diachronic and regional perspective. The comparison is extended to other areas at the margin of the Hittite State, providing insights into the emergence and importance of extra-regional connections. The purpose is to define the geographical and cultural borders of this phenomenon, identifying its local aspects and understanding to which extent similarities in style might reflect common origins or shared tastes.